SINGAPORE: Malaysia’s five-year title drought at the Singapore Open continued after reigning men’s doubles world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik were eliminated in the semifinals today.
Aaron-Wooi Yik lost 21-16, 15-21, 17-21 to Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang to extend their poor record against the Chinese duo.
This was their fifth meeting in 12 months, the first being at the Indonesia Masters in June last year.
Liang-Wang have now won four times.
The national pair recorded their only victory at the Indonesia Masters in January this year.
“We are disappointed we could not keep our cool when it mattered. We need to be more focused. Today was not an easy match so we need to recondition ourselves fast before playing our next tournament (Indonesia Open) next week,” Wooi Yik told Bernama at the end of the game.
Earlier, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei gave an incredible performance before bowing out 17-21, 22-24 to world No 3 Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan in the mixed doubles.
Malaysia last won the men’s doubles at the Singapore Open in 2008 via Zakry Latif and Fairuzizuan Tazari.
Malaysia’s last title at the tournament was in 2018 when Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai won the mixed doubles.
No Malaysian has managed to lift any title since.
The tournament was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic).
Aaron-Wooi Yik are still looking for a title on the world tour.
They are part of a rare group of players who have won the world title without winning an open tournament.
The other player is Penang-born Singaporean Loh Kean Yew, who became world singles champion in 2021.
It was also Aaron-Wooi Yik’s first semifinal appearance in a world tour tournament since finishing runners-up at the Indian Open in January.
Since then, they have suffered early round exits in four tournaments (German Open, All-England, Swiss Open and Asian Championships).
The furthest they got was the quarterfinals in the Masters in Indonesia and last month’s edition in Malaysia.